enharmonic:
by Lady Tal0n
Summary: N loves Touko. He desperately wishes for her to love him back, but with his psychotic mood swings it's hard to believe she'll ever trust him enough to love him. With a greater, unstoppable force coming between the two, is there even a point in trying?
1. Prologue

**enharmonic:**

**Prologue**

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

**Stupidity caused this mess.**

**Stupidity will make you pay.**

**Stupidity will hurt you.**

"_I am here for you._

_I will never hurt you._

_If you are ever lost, I will always find you."_

**Dark, teal and full of emotion.**

**Icy, blue and full of hate.**

**Bright, purple and full of thoughts of a new world.**

"_Tell me how to save a life,_

_When all hope is lost_

_And you're barely clinging on…"_

**A savior. **

**A pessimist.**

**A selfish being.**

"_Tell me how to love like you,_

_Because my heart is cold_

_And I need your warmth…"_

**Misperception. **

**Resentment.**

**Rejection.**

"_Tell me what I'm supposed to do,_

_Because I've never_

_Felt this way before…"_

**Memories of something created before, nowhere to be found, wandering alone in the space above. **

**Memories of something created now, hoping to be destroyed, never leaving her mind.**

**Memories of something to be created soon, not yet discovered, drifting in and out of his head. **

"_I need you._

_You need me._

_Why don't you just give into this perfect harmony?"_

"_**Perfection is a virtue.**_

_**Corruption is a vice.**_

_**But what is in between?"**_

**[end of prologue: perspective]**

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_I hope you enjoyed it. Don't expect the first chapter anytime soon. I want to take my time on this fic._

_Please review! Much thanks to "Of Broken Love" for beta and help with the summary. _

_If you favorite/alert this story, please, please, please review at least once! It would be greatly appreciated because I like learning how I can please my readers more. _

_This is gonna have some really crazy (and stupid) twists, so be prepared for darkness and rape, and _**maybe** _sensual lemons._

_Thanks!_

_-Raimei_


	2. Chapter 1

**enharmonic:**

**Chapter One**

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_A…B…C…D…E…F…G…H…I…J…K…L…M…N…"_

"_N…N…N…"_

"_What's…after…N…?"_

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"I'll give you another chance, Touko," N said softly. "We don't have to fight." He had just defeated four of her six Pokémon easily.

The female trainer shook her head confidently, a huge smile on her face. "I've been waiting for this! For the longest time, I've always wanted to beat you for good!" She threw out a Pokéball containing Daikenki, the third evolution to her starter Pokémon, Mijumaru.

N started laughing hysterically, an evil aura around him, overflowing like a river with water flooding its banks. He looked like his old, familiar innocent self, and yet, Touko noted, his dark teal eyes showed…_lust and want?_

"Zekrom!" the green haired king shouted. "Go, and use Cross Thunder against her Daikenki!"

Touko's eyes widened as Daikenki, a Water-type, was shot down with ease by his Legendary Pokémon."N! I'll return this to you!" Touko shouted, throwing Reshiram's Pokéball out onto the field. "Don't feel like you've won yet! Go, Reshiram!"

He blinked, her voice returning him to reality. "Reshiram," he uttered softly, "I'm sorry." He closed his eyes and whispered inaudible words. "Why are you doing this, Touko?" he cried back, tears welling up in his eyes as he watched her determined expression. "I don't want to hurt you! And I don't want t-to hurt your Pokémon…or you!"

The girl felt touched at his words, but quickly shook her head, not giving in to his charming words. "I don't want to do this either, N!" _Because I love you._ "But I have to! You're going to ruin the world!" she argued

"Ruin it? I'm changing the world for the better!" he cried in return. "You don't understand!"

"_No!" _she barked. "_You're _the one that doesn't understand, N!"

"_Dragon Claw!" _

"You too, Reshiram! Dragon Claw!"

Both legendary Dragons attacked each other with their claws, fighting hard.

"Cross Fire!" Touko shouted, watching as Reshiram summoned an ancient fire.

N hesitated as Zekrom got smashed with Reshiram's signature move. _"L-Lightning Strike!" _N exclaimed, using Zekrom's ultimate move. _It's only supposed to be used under great circumstances… _he reminded himself. _But I suppose I could call this a great circumstance._

Her eyes widened as his legendary Dragon-Electric Pokémon took the opportunity to defeat her Reshiram with a huge bolt of lightning. "…W-What? Lightning Strike is _that_ powerful?" she exclaimed in shock. "I don't believe it…" She blinked in disbelief. "Wh-why? Why would you do such a thing, N?" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. She gazed down at the Dragon-Fire legendary beast, staring at its fiery blue eyes as her knees wobbled, causing the trainer to drop to her knees. "T-That…th-that was too much, even for you!"

"I'm sorry, Reshiram," N and Touko murmured simultaneously, the girl fighting back tears. The Plasma Lord strutted over to Touko, his burrow furrowed with an apology as he called Zekrom back into its Pokéball.

"Touko," he called out, kneeling next to her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "This is how it was meant to be…" he started, but Touko cut him off.

"No!" she shouted back, giving him a good slap. "This _wasn't _how it was meant to be! I was supposed to beat you! I was supposed to show you that…th-that…that you aren't supposed to hurt the Pokémon like this! It isn't supposed to be like this…"

N touched his cheek gently, closing his eyes for a moment, his inner self debating whether or not to retaliate. "But it is," he whispered softly, a decision made, pressing his lips to the shell of her ear. "There's nothing you can do about it…"

She shoved him away, crawling backwards, trying to escape the man. "G-Get away f-from me, you monster! J-Just g-go the hell away!" she cried, tears overflowing her eyes.

His lips formed a hard line. "Monster? Me?" he repeated in shock. "_I'm _the monster, when you, as a _Trainer, _force Pokémon into these _Pok_é_balls _without asking their permission? _I'm _the monster when I ask for all your _trainers _to let go your Pokémon because of what you're doing to them?" His teal eyes shimmered and reflected the anger boiling up in his body. "Look into my eyes, Touko." He watched her squirm away for a few centimeters, but he wouldn't let her escape. Oh no, she caused much too much trouble for her to let go. "Touko," he barked, reaching over to grab her wrist. N held it tightly with an iron grip, forcing Touko to cry out in pain. "Look into my eyes and tell me I'm a monster," he told her slowly through gritted teeth.

Touko couldn't look into those evil teal eyes without shaking in fear. Averting her gaze, she looked at Reshiram, who was staring at Touko with pleading eyes. _R-Reshiram? _she thought. _What are you…? _Reshiram slowly got up, spinning around to sweep N away with its tail. "R-Reshiram!" she cried. Swallowing her fears down, she eyed the spot N got thrown to. He was sitting in the middle of rubble, his eyes half closed, blood leaking from his mouth. "N?" she called hesitantly, standing up sluggishly. "N!" Touko ran towards him, fear no longer lingering within her body. She slid to his side, the dirt scraping her knee, and she touched his cheek tentatively.

"Monster…" he groaned softly, his eyes fluttering. In a swift motion, Touko had her back against the wall with N pressing her against it violently. His perspiring forehead pressed against hers, and she smelled his breath faintly – mint? Touko yelped in pain as his hands gripped her wrists tightly again, raising them near her head and shoving them against the wall. "_You're _the monster_!" _he screeched in her ear. "You dare attack me like that? _You dare to attack a king like me with such – such _commoner tactics?" He squeezed her wrists, causing her to squeal in pain.

Reshiram could do nothing but watch, since it had no more power to do anything, even though Touko's icy blue eyes were pleading the Dragon to help. "N," she cried, "stop it! That hurts!" He cradled her chin in his soft hands, forcing her to stare into his lustful eyes. "Please…N…I'm sorry…" she whispered quietly.

"Sorry won't cut it," he murmured gently, sucking on her earlobe. The action ran shivers down her spine, which caused N to assume it was a tremble of pleasure. "…I suppose that will do."

Holding down both of her wrists with a single hand, he used his free one to release Zekrom into the air. "Let us go, my princess," he whispered seductively. Pressing his index finger to her shoulder, he hit her pressure point perfectly, which caused her to pass out in his arms. "I had wished I could have made you…fall asleep in a more…pleasurable way."

He shrugged to himself and held Touko up to Zekrom to pull upon its back. "No matter." A loud sigh escaped his lips. "Women, these days," he grumbled, "have no respect for men whatsoever. When I was a young…" His voice droned on, Zekrom flying towards the sky, ignoring the cries of the Reshiram left there, wailing for its trainer.

The last thing she saw was his bright purple eyes…

But why purple?

**[end of chapter one: colors]**

"_That's what you get for falling again; you can never get him out of your head."_

**Pretty Girl (The Way) – **_Sugarcult_

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_Thanks to _Of Broken Love _for beta and being my Onee-chan! You're the best! _

_Thanks in advance to all the people who review/favorite/alert this story. What you do really inspire me to continue writing._

_I love constructive criticism. So if you have the time to write some CC over a flame (NO FLAME. GRR). I would really appreciate CC. :)_

_Just wait up for the next chapter of _enharmonic:!

_Cheers!~ (Yup, stole it.)_

_-Raimei_


	3. Chapter 2

**enharmonic:**

**Chapter Two**

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_A…B…C…D…E…F…G…H…I…J…K…L…M…N…"_

"_N…N…N…"_

"_What's…after…N…?"_

"_Why can't I remember?"_

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

_**You know you want it.**_

His heart thumped loudly against his chest.

"_Mm…Touko…"_

_**Trust me. I know how you feel.**_

His body started heating up faster than he realized.

"_T-Touko…"_

_**Take her. For both of us.**_

A cocky smirk appeared on his face as a soft moan escaped his lips, the clever voice inside his head obviously winning the battle.

"_Yes…right there…"_

Hearing a sharp intake of breath, his eyes suddenly opened, his body automatically searching the dim light of the room. "Touko?" N uttered in disbelief, seeing her icy cerulean eyes, full of fright.

"Yes, N?" she replied, looking indifferent. Her hand pressed against his tightly, holding it affectionately.

N smiled to himself, his torn selves arguing whether to squeeze her hand back or not. _I…guess she still _trusts_ me..._ Recalling her terrified eyes, he took back his comment, frowning. _Most likely not. With my performance yesterday…_ He closed his eyes and thought about it for a moment, when suddenly his hand jerked and clenched her hand tightly without his consent.

"N?" She began hyperventilating, to his dismay.

Suddenly, N felt an incredible adrenaline rush course through his veins, his eyes drooping as an opposite effect. "Hey, Touko?" he managed to say, staring into her eyes with tired, teal ones. "Could you use that speaker on the wall to call Anthea or Concordia?" A hand raised to point at the small, white speaker with a few red buttons, reminding him of a Pokéball. "I feel…," he started, but paused to swallow hesitantly, "sick."

She looked at him, confused, but shrugged to his words, not understanding what was wrong.

"Touko!" N suddenly shouted, his head spinning as it pulsed, making his body ache all over. "Get Concordia. Or Anthea. _Now!_" N began coughing violently, a sickening sound filling the air. "I-I n-need m-my pills!" His breathing quickened, just as Touko's had when she was hyperventilating.

The last thing N saw was Touko hopping to her feet, rushing for the speaker before the darkness engulfed him completely.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

Touko opened her eyes slowly, waking up from a grueling nightmare. Rubbing her eyes open, she glanced around, looking at an unfamiliar room. Sitting on the desk was a lone Pokéball and her white and pink hat that she dashed for and slipped it onto her head. On the opposite side of the room was a huge mural of Reshiram, Zekrom and a frosty blue Pokémon she didn't recognize. After a moment, her eyes traveled to the door, noticed it was shut tight and had a little button and speaker next to it.

Then she looked to the left side of the bed she was lying in.

"…N?" she exclaimed in shock, scrambling out of the bed, and hitting her head against the hard floor. Her eyes flicked back and forth from N lying in the bed then to the door. "W-Where am I?" Her breathing quickened and her heart raced in anxiety. "A-Are… Are you…N? The real N?"

He began tossing and turning in the bed, breathing heavily. "Mm…Touko…" he mumbled, his head rolling around the pillow. The female trainer swallowed hesitantly, unsure of what to do. "T-Touko…" he continued to moan softly in what Touko guessed were his dreams. "Yes…right there…" His eyes snapped open as he heard Touko take a sharp intake of breath. Sitting up quickly, he instantly stared into Touko's pale cerulean eyes. "Touko?"

Her breathing stopped for a split second, but when she saw his innocent teal eyes, she quickly exhaled, to her relief. "Yes, N?" was her automatic reply. She knelt down by his side and took his hand in hers grasping it tightly. _It's him, _she thought, a soft smile appearing on her face. _I know it. I was just imagining that other side of him. He wouldn't hurt me. Ever._

His hand squeezing hers violently brought her to the sick truth. _But he did attack me yesterday... And he probably will, again. _"N?" she mumbled, her lungs failing to give her air.

"Hey, Touko?" he mumbled, looking at her with tired eyes. "Could you use that speaker on the wall to call Anthea or Concordia?" His voice was soft and low, croaky with sleep. "I feel…sick…"

Touko cocked her head to the side, wondering what was up. Just a moment ago, she felt like the sheer strength of his hand was going to break her fingers, but now, N was asking for her help. She shrugged. It was confusing, with the way he was.

It seemed as if he was fighting something on the inside.

"Touko!" N shouted. "Did you hear me?" She quickly turned to him, looking into his now purple eyes. "Get Concordia. Or Anthea. _Now!"_ He started hacking out a loud, raspy cough. "I-I n-need m-my pills!" His breathing quickened, as if he was having an asthma attack.

Scrambling to her feet, she rushed to the door side, obviously flustered. She hit the button and cried, "Um, C-Concordia!" Touko hesitated for a second. "A-Anthea? N…N needs his pills…"

The speaker was silent for a minute, a minute too long, but finally, the voice of one of the Plasma "Queens" spoke up. "Of course," Anthea replied calmly, a quiet rattling sound coming from Anthea's side of the speaker. "I'll send a grunt up right away."

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

Touko's breath slowed as the grunt clothed in an outrageous outfit finally appeared with N's "pills." The female trainer wasn't sure what those pills were, but in her mind, she told herself she didn't want to know. The grunt looked at her and shrugged and told her N would be out for a few hours. "And one last thing," the grunt recalled, frowning, "don't make N angry."

"Why?" Touko asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. "N gets angry?" she added, more shock threading her voice. _Anymore surprises wouldn't be very surprising, _she thought to herself.

The grunt chuckled, shaking his head. "Looks are deceiving," he quoted, frowning at Touko's stupidity or trust. He eyed the clock hung on the wall and groaned. "Crap, it's past the curfew…" His eyes pierced Touko's angrily. "Get to sleep or Ghetsis will have your rump on the wall to prod at."

As the grunt left the room, Touko held her butt, feeling self-conscious about the size. "Is my ass really that big?" she asked herself, blinking in confusion. Touko sighed and reached over to hold the Pokéball sitting on the desk. "Who are you, my little Pokémon?" she wondered hesitantly, running her thumb over the little button in the middle.

_Reh…, _it groaned softly.

"Hope," Touko realized, suddenly smiling. She strode over to the window and lifted the curtains, letting the moonlight to pour in, but saw bars attached to the windows, knowing that she wouldn't be able to escape. If she released Reshiram inside the castle, she knew the Pokémon would break something or hurt someone, which was something she didn't want. Biting her lip, she aimed the ball against the open parts of the bars, clicking the button and letting Reshiram go.

"Hope…you're free," she whispered softly as the huge Legendary Pokémon appeared. The Pokémon whimpered quietly, pressing its head against the bars tenderly. "No, Hope…," Touko told it, pressing her hand against its head, frowning as she rubbed its fur affectionately. "I'm sorry..." Behind her, she heard the sound of footsteps on the floor, so she quickly looked at Reshiram urgently. "Please, Hope, you're free! I release you, Reshiram…" she suddenly said without thinking, throwing the ball down onto the grass below Reshiram's feet.

The Pokémon made another whimpering sound, but without another complaint, it turned around and spread its wings. Its head turned for a moment, but looked back up to the full moon in sadness, taking flight and shooting off into the air like a rocket.

Touko closed her eyes and sighed, wondering if she had done the right thing. Glancing at the unconscious N, and then to the securely closed door behind her, what she had to do was suddenly clear.

_Save N from this living nightmare._

She slowly raised her head up to the sky and saw a lone star, twinkling its light to Touko, as if it knew what was troubling her.

**[end of chapter two: starlit night]**

"_I looked up into the sky for salvation, but all I could see was the lonely star above."_

**The One Star** _- Cameron Strothe and Takeharu Ishimoto_

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_Thanks for reading. _**"The One Star" **_is a song from _The World Ends With You, _which has an amazing soundtrack to it. _

_Sorry for the late update. Life is a bitch._

_Cheers._

_-Raimei_

**_Edit: _**_Life is not a bitch, firstly, and second, thanks to _Of Broken Love_, my old beta reader for that mistake in this chapter._


	4. Chapter 3

**enharmonic:**

**Chapter Three**

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"_A…B…C…D…E…F…G…H…I…J…K…L…M…N…"_

"_N…N…N…"_

"_What's…after…N…?"_

"_Why can't I remember?"_

"It's not that you _don't _remember…"

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

_**You **_**refuse**_** to**__._

His eyes shot open as the voice in his head cruelly repeated words whispered to him as a child. N swallowed slowly, his throat dry and in need of water.

"How is he doing?"he heard the familiar voice of Concordia say in person.

_Why would Concordia have to ask? _N thought. _She's normally the one who knows exactly what's up with me… Her or Anthea. _The Plasma Lord kept quiet and closed his eyes, not wanting to be noticed at the moment.

"I…_think _he's okay," Touko's voice replied shakily. "Of course, I wouldn't know…" Her voice trailed off and an awkward silence soon filled the air.

"Lord N?" Anthea asked, N noticing that her voice sounded closer to him than Touko or Concordia's had been.

He opened his mouth to speak, but instead, opened his eyes slowly. "A-Anthea…" he murmured quietly. "What…happened last night?" N began to sit up quickly, but a piercing pain through his lower stomach stopped him. "Ah…" He looked up into Anthea's soft and comforting eyes, the grimace on his face changing to a smile at the sight of them. "So…" he managed to huff, "…you gave me my pills." It wasn't a question.

Anthea turned away, feeling guilty as a frown appeared on her lips. "Yes, Lord N," she replied coldly, "but please understand that it was for your sake…" He saw her swallow carefully, as if she was trying to prevent N from seeing it. His carefree smile almost immediately turned into a deadly scowl.

"You _liar!" _he cried, his eyes burning with suspicion. _"What did you give me?" _As his eyes turned into a glowing bright purple, the love and compassion burned away from his voice, leaving nothing but bitterness. "Tell me!" He glowered at Anthea with hateful eyes as she backed away in fear, moving next to Concordia and Touko.

"N?" Touko called out after a moment, staring at him, muddled thoughts in her mind. Her aqua eyes were swirling in a confusing motion as her small pupils darted all over the place, as if waiting for the Plasma Lord to respond in a violent manner.

His breathing slowed, eyes shifting back into that familiar teal blue as his eyelids closed over his calm eyes. "Yes…Touko?" he murmured hesitantly, before sighing in a reluctant tone.

Clenching the bed sheets tightly, he bit down on his lower lip as his body trembled with another explosive adrenaline rush. Soon enough, his breathing quickened slightly and his lips parted.

Touko pursed her lips for a moment and opened her mouth several times before speaking. Glancing back and forth from Concordia to Anthea and back, she suddenly asked, "N, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." His voice was cold, but restraining.

"Something is," Touko pushed, gritting her teeth together. She knew she shouldn't keep pursuing whatever _truth_ this was, but she had to know. N was important to her, and to Concordia and Anthea. _But… me especially, _she told herself. Sucking up all her fears and exhaling them out into the cold air, she managed to muster up the courage to mutter two words.

"Tell me."

His eyes stared into her turquoise ones with sadness brimming. She didn't need anything else to tell her N's story as she knelt down next to him.

She peered into his frightened teal eyes curiously and saw sadness and fear.

The thought of N turning back into that purple-eyed monster left her mind as she continued keeping eye contact with the helpless Plasma Lord. N, the mint-green haired, teal eyed handsome older teen that made Touko's heart pound, was suddenly the one locking his knees. She brushed her soft hands against his forehead, pushing away the locks of his hair to one side. Her face showed no real emotion, excluding her eyes, which exposed her worry for N's wellbeing.

_His wellbeing, _Touko thought. _I…wouldn't have ever thought I'd be in this position. _She shuffled around nervously, but kept her hand pressed against his cheek. "N…" she whispered softly, leaning down and pressing her forehead to his. "Don't forget…" She took both of his hands carefully, trying not to allow the evil side of him to recover. His terrified teal eyes never left hers, but Touko didn't mind, as she understood his fear.

She had felt the same way once before.

"You're never al–"

"Anthea! Concordia!" called an awfully familiar voice from the speaker on the wall. "Lord N's presence is required!"

Concordia rushed to the speaker and pushed the button, speaking rather shakily. "Of course, Lord Ghetsis." She glanced back at Anthea and then to Touko with pleading eyes, mouthing _get N up. _"Right away, sir." She released the button and took a deep breath. "Miss Touko, would you please help us?"

The female trainer nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly because of the ruined moment. "N," Touko called out softly, pressing her hand to his shoulder. "N, you need to wake up," she continued, cooing softly. "Your dad needs you." She looked down at his innocent face, a smile on her lips.

"Father has never needed me." His reply was faint – did she hear sadness in his voice? "He has always used me for his dirty work. He doesn't care, Touko, and he thinks… well, he _knows _I'm worth…_dirt."_

Touko bit her lip, not knowing what to say. "N," she muttered quietly. "N, that's not true. Don't believe him." She clenched his hand tightly. "N, you're worth so much! You don't have to believe everything your father tells you…"

Her voice trailed off to silence as his eyes shot open, revealing a bright purple hue. Hate…and curiosity showed in them. "Then what _do _I believe?" he cried out loudly, staring at Touko's icy blue eyes, his eyebrows knotted. His sudden gasp caused Touko to realize he didn't mean to be so harsh.

She grasped his shoulder firmly as the older teen suddenly sat up. He cringed in pain, his stomach obviously bothering him. "I…" Touko started, tightening her grip to get him to look at her.

"I don't know the answer to that, N," she continued honestly. "But all I can say is that… I'm not going to tell you to keep trying," she whispered, clenching his hand tighter. N quickly wrapped his arms around her, grabbing her shoulders as he tucked his head into her shoulder blade, his breathing deep and sniffles filling the air. He moved his hands up and down her back, occasionally playing with her hair, allowing contented sighs to come out of both of their lips. Her own hands and fingers surprised herself by their actions. Running her fingers through his soft, minty hair, Touko leaned down to kiss his ear.

"Because I know that trying is what hurts most."

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"That selfish child!" Ghetsis exclaimed, slamming his fists onto the control panel. "Damned boy. Snuggling with that _cursed whore _when I should be testing him on the status of his fusion…" Slamming the panel again, the screen changed to the hidden video of the day of N's "fusion" a few years ago. Ghetsis stared intensely at the screen, watching the experiment Concordia and Anthea conducted themselves. "Those damned goddesses are screwing up my boy's _fucking _experiment!" he cried as purple flashes of light reflected off his eyes.

_Mew… ("He's just a test subject to you, Ghetsis…") _

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_**Test…subject… **_The voice inside N murmured quietly, waking the older teen from his calm slumber. _**Is that what I am to you, N? Are you like the other scientists? Simply… a test subject? **_

_No, _N replied. _My dear friend, you are much more than a…test subject. I do not even know what it is, but it sounds like an insult! _His face scrunched in disgust from the thought.

"N?" Touko whispered, touching his cheek.

_**Then who is that girl to you? **_The voice asked curiously, jealousy apparent in its voice.

_Touko? She is my best friend! _N said back happily.

_**Hm… **_the voice crooned quietly. _**Do you know what…best friends that are much closer do?**_

_Huh? I wanna know! Tell me! _N cried excitedly.

_**They…**_pleasure _**each other and…**_relieve _**each other, **_the voice told him, _**from certain, ah…**_stresses.

_What kind of stresses? _N wondered.

N imagined the face of the speaker with an evil smirk, lust gleaming in their purple eyes. _**Sexual…stresses.**_

"N!" Touko shouted in worry. "Oh no, N, don't you _dare _be dead, you damned asshole!"

His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, ignoring the painful thorns shooting up from his left side. "T-Touko …" He closed his eyes and fell on her shoulder, groaning. _**"Touko… love… lovely girl…"**_ His fingers pressed softly to her waist and up to her breasts, but his hand began shaking as the conscious N inside refused to continue. _**"Love…me…" **_The evil in his purple eyes glowed as he struggled to press his hand to her cheek. _**"Love me…"**_

_Stop it! Friends don't do that to other friends! _N screamed.

_**Oh? I'm sure if she was truly your friend and wanted to please you, she would be alright with this. **_The voice made a crude "tsk-tsk" sound. _**The world doesn't seem to be as perfect as it was anymore. I suppose I must make this right… **_The cruel being disappeared into the darkness, silence filling his mind.

N opened his eyes hesitantly and leaned back, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Get away from me!" Touko screamed in surprise and fear. "G-Get away!" As N inched closer, Touko slapped him hard, causing his cheek to swell and redden quickly. The feeling of fear stopped her from seeing the apology in his eyes. "P-please, just…go!"

"Touko, I –"

"No!" She backed away and stepped towards the door, terror mirrored in her eyes. "C-Concordia!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, slamming her fist on the speaker. "A-Anthea!"

"Please, Touko…I –" N started, but faltered at the hum of the speaker.

A pause followed.

"I'm sorry, Touko," Concordia replied coolly.

A soft sound emitting from the air ducts made Touko jump in surprise as she inhaled something that felt and tasted nothing like oxygen.

N passed out first.

She followed soon after.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

A soft whimper left the mouth of the legendary beast as its blue eyes swiftly jumped around, taking in the scene it saw through the opening in the wall. It pressed its white fur against the bricks, making soft cries of helplessness as it thought about its ex-master locked up in an evil cage full of the wrong air.

"_Please, Hope, you're free! I release you, Reshiram…"_

It could do nothing but watch.

**[end of chapter three: emotional influx]**

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"_His little whispers: "Love me, love me. That's all I ask for, love me, love me."  
>…Monster, how should I feel? Creatures lie here, looking through the window."<em>

**Monster **– _Meg & Dia_

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

_I love Meg & Dia! Anyway, here's my advertisement: if you like Meg & Dia and want to see the singer of that band go all out and sing for a competition, watch the Voice. Dia Frampton is SINGING! *passes out* I'd do anything to have her voice. XD_

_Cheers!_

_-Raimei_

Special thanks to **LugiaAbsol **and **aerococonut **on beta!

_(You have __**no **__idea how long it took me and aerococonut to get a finalized version of this chapter, so drop a thank you to her too!)_


	5. Chapter 4

**enharmonic:**

**Chapter Four**

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_A…B…C…D…E…F…G…H…I…J…K…L…M…N…"_

"_N…N…N…"_

"_What's…after…N…?"_

"_Why can't I remember?"_

"It's alright, my son, you just need a trick to help you remember!"

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

When the darkness found him, memories flooded back into his mind like a raging waterfall.

_The first thing that came to mind was the hallway he sat in__,__ and the feel of a round object in his hands. His teal eyes peered curiously into it, pursing his lips as he noticed the small Tympole making laps around the clear fish bowl. _

_Seven year old N pressed his face to the glass and whispered soft comforting words to the Pokémon. "What bad man hurt you, little Tympole?" he murmured, holding the bowl tighter. _

_The Tympole made a pouting face and circled around the bowl a few more times before answering. 'You're not going to hurt me, are you?' the Pokémon said, N clearly understanding its words._

_His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Hurt you?" repeated a shocked N. "Why would I ever hurt you?" He watched himself blink repeatedly through the reflections in the water. _

'_Humans are bad, aren't they?' _

"_Of course not!" N replied happily, but in a hushed tone, in fear that his parents would wake up suddenly. His joyful face quickly broke apart as he realized that what he said was a lie. "Well, some humans are bad…but I know I'm not!"_

_Silence filled the air, the only sound being the splish-splash of the Tympole swimming around in its bowl. 'The bad man,' the Pokémon finally started, 'never let me battle and I was never taken out of my Pokéball… He put me into a PC Box after a few weeks and then he never came back to me.' It stopped abruptly, staying still in the clear water, looking as if it was remembering painful moments. 'I just wanted a friend…'_

_N held the bowl even tighter than his previous iron grip, his tears dripping into it as he thought of words to comfort the Pokemon. "It's okay, little Tympole… I'm not a bad person, I promise. I'll be your friend." He had always seen Pokémon as his friends and this Tympole was no exception._

He too could recall moments when he felt like that; when he felt like a young and small Tympole, overlooked and forgotten.

'_You'll be my friend?' Tympole repeated in shock._

_A soft smile appeared and the young boy's face lit up completely, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Of course I will! You don't have to be alone anymore!" he cried happily, wiping his tears away so that the Tympole could be as thrilled as he was. _

"_My son!" shouted a familiar voice, sounding as if she was in surprise. As N gently turned his head, the older woman dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his forehead affectionately. N smiled and carefully put the clear bowl off to the side, wiping the rest of his tears on her beautiful night gown. "I'm sorry dear, were you waiting for me?" He nodded slowly, a grin upon his face. "I'm truly sorry. Come, let's go eat breakfast. Oh, and don't forget to drink your medicine." N pulled away slowly and peered into her eyes, seeing the warmth and love his mother held for him. Her soft brown hair obviously hadn't been fixed by the way it stood up all over the place, just like N's. Those teal eyes reflected the emotions that N had for her, their irises matching in every way. _

_His mother, noticing his focused look, took his hand and softly pulled him to his feet. N scrambled downwards and snatched the bowl from the floor carefully, hugging it close to his chest. Giggling, the older woman put an arm around his shoulders and guided him through the dark halls. "Are you hungry, N?" she asked, smiling down at him._

_The young boy nodded fiercely and grinned sheepishly down at the Tympole. "How about you? Are you hungry?"_

_Tympole made furious circles around the bowl and even attempted to jump out of it like a dolphin. 'Of course I am, friend!' The grin on N's lips widened as he walked happily with his new friend and loving mother by his side. _

N Harmonia smiled from ear to ear, as the cherished memories of his mother and favorite Pokémon disappearing as his eyes snapped open.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

Touko opened her eyes slowly, trying to blink out the sleepiness that blurred her vision. "M-Mother," she heard N murmur to the left side of where she was lying. Touko got on her knees and began crawling slowly in the direction of his voice, still disoriented. A bright, unnatural light shone above her, and she felt a steely cold floor against the palms of her hands.

"N?" the younger trainer whispered quietly, running her hands over soft skin. Her vision soon cleared and Touko realized that they were in a grey and dull room, which she thought was an interrogation-type room.

His eyes suddenly snapped open and Touko flinched backwards onto her butt in surprise. When he looked into her eyes, obviously confused, she quickly turned away, flushing in embarrassment. Touko bit her lip and adjusted her white and pink hat on her head. "Um…are you okay?" she huffed out in a strangled voice.

With her peripheral vision, she noticed him nod and continue to stare. "Con…Concordia?" he said hesitantly.

"C-C-_Concordia?" _She nearly choked in surprise. "How do you mistake – Why would you even – I'm not –"

"Anthea? Then you must be Anthea! Um…Right?"

"No, of course not! I don't even –"

"Mother?"

Her voice stuck in her throat and she froze, not expecting him to suggest that. "Y-Yeah…Um, yes, my son. Your…_mother… _is here," she managed to whisper, pressing her hand to his, her face still bright red. Touko bit her lower lip, a voice inside telling her that she shouldn't do this, but a different voice told her to comfort this lonely guy as best she could. "It's…okay, N. You don't have to worry anymore." Her hand moved up to his hair and ruffled it, running her fingers through the messy locks. "You don't have to be alone anymore." Touko smiled to herself, thinking about the way she had tried to say those words before the intercom call interrupted her.

"Touko," he muttered quietly, taking her hand from his hair and kissing it softly. More blood rushed to Touko's face, making her look down. "Thanks." Mustering the courage to look back up, she saw that his eyes were closed and that he was leaning against the grey wall, a huge smile on his face. "I appreciate it."

A grin spread onto Touko's face and she rolled away from him, resting her head on the cold floor. "I wonder…what he…dreamt about…" She yawned and smiled at the sound of N's soft snoring. "Maybe…maybe he'll tell me someday." Touko took a deep breath and shook her head. "If I could somehow get him to trust me…"

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

Ghetsis clenched his jaw tightly; pouting angrily as he watched the two teens interact in what he assumed was an intimate way. "Damned boy. Doesn't he know what's he's getting himself into?" Ghetsis exclaimed, punching the monitor angrily. "_Defying _all I have taught him –"

_Mew! _MEW!

Ghetsis swiftly spun around to face a blonde haired man with angry blue eyes, wearing a gold and blue vest. A Pokémon floated next to him, looking just as mad as the man, if not more. "If you couldn't understand that, the Pokémon said, 'Ghetsis!'" he shouted, clenching his fists tightly. "Your teachings defy the _nature of humans!'_ … I agree, just to let you know." The man quickly calmed down, putting on a poker face as he held up a Pokéball. Pressing the button, a bright light appeared and soon afterwards, a Pokémon native to Sinnoh jumped out of the Ultra Ball. "Voltic, my Luxray, show him the true power of Pokémon and why they are more than just tools."

"What?" Ghetsis exclaimed in shock, trying to step backwards, but bumping into the machines behind him. "What are you trying to –"

"Volt Tackle."

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_Father, what are you talking about?" N replied in surprise to his father's question. "Humans aren't bad! Take Mother for –"_

_Ghetsis slapped his seven -almost eight- year old son across the face to cut him off. "Don't you dare speak of her in my presence! Or in this castle!"_

_The young boy crawled backwards in fear, panting hard as he sat in the corner, pulling his small arms around his legs. "F-Father…why…"_

"_Stupid boy!" Ghetsis hollered. "Humans _cannot _be trusted! To be better than a human is what you must do! You must be a human with Pokémon-like senses_, senses _that are above all others!" He glared down at me with that single eye angrily, the patch over his bad eye looking as if it wanted to maul N into a thousand pieces. As he thought about it, N recalled faintly that he received that patch around the time his mother left them…_

"_Thirteen others have been in your place, N Harmonia," Ghetsis told him, causing his head to snap up in surprise, "but none have ever been human themselves. Do not make me dispose of you as I did them…" Ghetsis glared at N again, his eye narrowing. After a minute, apparently satisfied with the fear in his eyes, he turned and left the room._

_N sat in that corner, feeling lonely and deserted, for what felt like a long time._

_A very long time._

That time for thinking, added with Ghetsis' cold words, hardened N's heart for the next eleven years.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"Hey…" N opened his eyes and realized that he had his head on Touko's shoulder. "Hey, N?" He sat up straighter and blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes, rubbing them slowly. Turning to Touko, he stared into her eyes curiously until she turned away, her face Darmanitan-red. "Why are you…like this?" she mumbled, keeping her eyes away from his.

"Like…what?" N asked, cocking his head to the side curiously, but noticed she didn't see it. _I wonder what's wrong… _

"Like…some part of you…wants to take control and _hurt _me or something…" Her blue eyes went glassy, and then she pouted, tears beginning to form.

"Hurt you?" N repeated, clenching his teeth tightly, trying to hold back the eager emotions that wanted to pour out. "Why would I ever hurt you? Why would I ever want to hurt you?" He kept a steady eye on her, but she didn't look at him. Instead, she closed her eyes and bit her lower lip again. "T-Touko?"

"Please, shut your mouth."

The older teen flinched, stunned. He knew that she was a headstrong and adamant kind of girl, but he didn't expect her to have such a…such an angry and hateful retort. "T-Touko…"

"Miss Touko," Concordia interrupted from an intercom above. "Touko, you have a visitor."

N's ears suddenly perked up and he looked upwards curiously, raising an eyebrow at the small camera bug that Concordia and Anthea could watch the two of them from. He mouthed to them, _A visitor?_

"A visitor?" Touko repeated in time with N's thought. "I didn't expect Ghetsisto be so…kind-hearted about that type of thing." She kept looking forward, wiping her tears away with one hand and pulling together an impressive poker face as she staggered up slowly.

N closed his eyes and recalled haunted childhood memories of Ghetsis back into his mind. "He's not," he told her between tightened teeth.

They heard footsteps in the distance and a door slam open and then shut.

"Ghetsis did not approve of this on his own terms," Concordia said quietly. "But he will allow you and your visitor to speak for ten minutes, as that is what this man has asked for."

Slowly opening his eyes, N raised an eyebrow and saw a blonde-haired person standing in front of Touko. Wondering who he was, the green-haired teen stood next to Touko and spoke quietly to her. "Who is this man?"

The man grinned, his blue eyes gleaming with the same impulsive and reckless look as Touko. He nodded to her, as if to tell her to answer N's question, which was something he wanted.

Touko looked back and forth from the blonde man to the green-haired teen, frowning more and more with each look she flashed them.

"I…don't know."

**[end of chapter four: past memories] **

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_Mabayuku kagayaku hitotoki minna to issho datta. Kakegae no nai toki to shirazu ni watashi ha sugoshite ita. Ima ha tada taisetsu ni shinobu you, I will embrace the feeling."_

_("That brightly shining moment, I was with everyone. I spent that time without knowing it was irreplaceable. Now, so that I'll just recall it fondly, I will embrace the feeling.")_

**Kimi No Kioku (Memories of You) **– Kawamura Yumi

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

_Sorry for the late update!_

_I had my ankles rolled three days ago and I was on a sickbed for a long while. It really, really hurt, but I'm better now! I can actually walk without support, but not very fast._

_Big thanks to _aerococonut _for yet again being an awesome beta reader for me. She makes all those blunt constructive criticisms seem nice! (She made me rewrite half of the chapter!) I kid, I kid. Besides, doing all that work makes this story so much better, so I can't complain. Also, I give lots of thanks for my other beta, _LugiaAbsol, _for taking the time to read through this and be able to live with reading my stories. xD _

_I also have a big thanks to you, the reader, for sticking with me to the fourth chapter! Woo-hoo! _

_We've still got a lo-o-o-o-o-ng way to go._

_By the way, _**Kimi No Kioku **_is the ending/credits song for the video game Persona 3 and all of its remakes. It's a very interesting song once you get through the game and understand the lyrics. There are a lot of hidden meanings pointed toward both Main Character and FeMC and all of their interactions with their friends. _

_Henshin-a-go-go, baby!_

_~anime-heroine_


	6. Chapter 5

**enharmonic:**

**Chapter Five**

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_A…B…C…D…E…F…G…H…I…J…K…L…M…N…"_

"_N…N…N…"_

"_What's…after…N…?"_

"_Why can't I remember?"_

"It's alright, my son, you just need a trick to help you remember!"

"_A…trick? Isn't that cheating?"_

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"You…you're telling me you _don't know _who that is?" N cried in shock, surprise apparent all over his face. Pressing his palm to his forehead, he sighed in annoyance, shaking his head. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be relieved or scared." He turned his attention to the newcomer. "So, who are you and why are you here?" N asked coldly, the beast within rumbling to be released.

Unfazed by his cruelty, the man grinned, excitement flickering in his eyes. "You're one interesting kid, but what I need to talk about doesn't involve you." Nodding at Touko, he said something quietly that N couldn't hear.

Touko's eyes widened in surprised. "Um…N." Touko bit her lip softly and hesitated to speak for a moment, but a glare from the blonde urged her to continue. "This…isn't a good time…for you to…_interfere_, N," she whispered in an uncertain voice, turning away from both male's glares.

"But _why?" _N exclaimed, his voice cracking. "_**Don't you trust me?**_" His voice changed drastically, morphing into the same, evil and cold voice she heard when the two were left in his room.

The blonde haired figure trembled under the voice change, but kept silent, while Touko stood frozen in fear. "I-I trust y-you, N," Touko murmured, backing away from him slowly. "I, ah, just –"

The mysterious man stepped forward. "I just need to talk to Touko for a few minutes and then –" He cut himself off abruptly, seeing the look on N's face.

"And then what?" N screeched, tears forming around his now purple eyes. "Are you going to take her away from me?" An image of his mother being dragged away by Plasma grunts flashed through his mind. "Like they took _her _away?" Fist clenched tightly, N's body rumbled in a mixture of pain, sadness and anger. "I won't let you!" N rushed forward, his left hand hurled towards the blonde's face.

The unfamiliar man caught N's wrist and twisted it to one side. With his free hand, he took a Pokeball from his belt and raised it up slightly. "I tried to let you out of this easily," he grumbled gruffly in a low voice. "I'll just shock him unconscious for a few hours…" His thumb ran over the slick white button. "Voltic, I –"

"Wait!" Touko shouted louder than intended. "Waitwaitwaitwait!" The man's blue eyes flickered to meet hers. "This is going too far. I think you've proved your point! Just don't…don't hurt the poor guy…"

"I don't want your pity!" the possessed N spat through tight lips.

"Didn't you hear that Touko? He _wants _to learn a lesson!" the man exclaimed exuberantly, the wide smile on his face showing how excited he was.

Touko was downright terrified by the look the blonde guy had in his eyes, but managed to muster up the courage to argue. "Please, I really don't want you to hurt N! Let's just talk and get this over with…"

He relaxed N out of his grip. "Fine, whatever." The sudden spark in his eyes dulled back to a boring blue hue that N thought matched Touko's.

_Touko._

"_**If you lay a single finger on her…**_" N growled, his eyes returned to their normal teal state.

"I won't. I just want all microphones and listening devices off." He pointed his Pokeball upwards and released an electric wolf-dog creature. N took great care in noticing the Pokémon's feelings and emotions and realized that it was a loyal and loving Pokémon. "Voltic here can sniff 'em out." Nodding towards his Pokémon, he looked at one of the bleak grey walls with distaste, because behind it were the two goddesses watching from a one-way window. "And if either of you turn on microphones or whatever techno shit you've got, I'll make sure Voltic gives you one hell of a time." A grin appeared on his face as the Pokémon walked over to the door, nudging against it with the spiky hairs of his mane. "You," –he pointed at N- "out."

"Shouldn't I be here? In case you have some dirty tricks up your sleeve?" N scoffed, his eyes narrowing.

"Heh, you can keep the video cams on. I don't care what you see. But hell, if you try to eavesdrop on our convo, you're gonna get a mouthful of static." N frowned and looked at the man, confused with every sentence he spoke. He looked no younger than thirty, but spoke like a teenager. "What's wrong, kid?" The grin he wore widened as N hurried out of the room with the blonde man's Pokémon. "Be nice to the little guy," the blonde person called out as one of the goddesses slid the door open slowly. N wasn't sure whether the Pokémon was referred to as 'little guy' or if he was.

N entered the room where Concordia and Anthea were in. "Lord N, the Luxray won't –"

"Turn the sounds off." _A Luxray, hmm?_

Concordia flinched in surprised. "But sir –"

"Microphones. _**Off.**_" N's voice came out as a low growl. "Concordia, if you don't –"

The Goddess of Peace flicked a few switches and certain lights in the control room switched off. "They're off, my Lord," she confirmed.

N nodded approvingly and pushed Concordia away for a moment, typing a few things out on the computer screen and opened up a video from all angles. "Keep a recording of this, Anthea, Concordia," N nearly snarled.

"With sound –"

The Luxray barked at Anthea with a loud growl. _'Luuuux…' (Don't you dare…)_

Anthea winced and subconsciously glanced at N for a translation, even though she could get the gist of it.

"He said something like 'Don't even try it'. Something along those lines," N confirmed, rolling his eyes.

Anthea nodded and set up a video-only recording as the two others had their private chat in the interrogation room.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

Touko paced around the room nervously until the strange man suddenly tensed, standing up straighter than usual, and soon relaxed his shoulders afterwards. "Don't worry," he murmured softly to the female trainer. "You'll be safe now." He felt Luxray's strange sonic boom-like signal, one that only he could hear.

The female trainer raised an eyebrow in curiosity and confusion. "You barge in demanding to speak with me, you threaten to hurt N and the Goddesses with some Pokémon I've _never _seen before and you expect me to believe I'm _safe?_" Touko exploded, her eyebrows furrowing in anger. "Honestly, how can I _trust_ you?"

The blonde figure shrugged, obviously not concerned. "In all honestly, I never expected you to. I was just hoping that, well, maybe you could use your common sense instead of judge people right off the bat!" As Touko continued pacing around, she eyed him and noticed that he moved his hands and arms in a flurry as he spoke, emphasizing words with his actions. "You're stuck in this _hellhole _and I've come to help you run away! I'm doing this all for you, Touko!"

Touko froze in her place, her eyes making the only movement as her icy blue eyes met his dark teal ones. "Wh-what did you say?"

"I'm going to help you escape."

Her heart jumped in joy and did a backflip as the words registered in her mind. She celebrated like a young child on the inside, but kept a calm poker face, knowing that N and the two goddesses were watching. "W-wow…"

The man smiled.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

The white, psychic Pokémon began floating around the older man with the eye patch, as if mocking him.

"Begone, you pest," Ghetsis hissed from inside the supply closet. If he had been free from the rope tied around his wrists, he would have grabbed that Pokémon by the neck and snapped its neck in half. "You've proven your point by having that _absurd _Gym Leader in my castle. There's no need to rub it in!"

The Pokémon kept making circles around carelessly, as if ignoring his words.

"Did you hear me, you stupid Pokémon?" he bellowed. "_Begone!_"

A white flash appeared.

The Pokémon vanished.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"You're kidding me." Touko still stared at him in disbelief, unsure how this older man could save her from a heavily guarded place like _this. _"You're _kidding _me."

The blonde haired man chuckled and shook his head. "Your mother has been worried sick about you. She 'hired'," – he air-quoted the word – "me to rescue you."

"I don't next any rescuing!" she exclaimed stubbornly, crossing her arms and pouting.

"I beg to differ." The man shook his head disapprovingly. "You get that spark from your mother. However, I came in at the perfect timing. Right when that…_thing…_inside N was ready to maul you."

"_Thing_?" Touko repeated blankly. "What thing?" The man bit his lip, as if he said something he hadn't wanted to. "Who _are _you?"

The man averted his eyes from hers, his expression telling her that he was thinking deeply. "Just…call me…_Lightning." _

"Lightning," she repeated sarcastically.

Lightning chuckled again, a low, manly sound, and his eyes lit up in excitement. "Is there something wrong with that?" He didn't show it to Touko, but Lightning was a big fan of Electric-type Pokémon and would do anything to catch – or even encounter – a Legendary Pokémon.

"How do you know my name?" the younger trainer asked suddenly.

The change of expression on Lightning's face made it obvious that he didn't like that question one bit. "I'm…" He sat down on a nearby chair that had been set up earlier and slumped over slightly, resting his elbows on his knees and cupping his face in his hands. "I'm a close friend of your mother."

"How do you know her?"

This, too, was a personal question he knew he couldn't elaborate too deeply on. "I met her when I traveled," he replied carefully.

"So you're a Pokémon trainer?" Touko asked excitedly, a spark going off in her eyes. "Wait, then how old are you?"

"I'm 37, as _shocking_ as it might sound." He chuckled at his electric joke, although she didn't pick up on it.

_Thirty-seven? _Touko shouted in her head. "Does that mean you're married? And have kids and all that?"

"I…was." His face suddenly turned completely solemn, so she shut her mouth and turned away. "It's…a long story, but I _will_ tell you that she and I had a lovely daughter."

"How old is she?"

Lightning smiled and chuckled softly. "She'd be around fifteen."

Touko opened her mouth in surprise and her eyes glinted in excitement. "Really? Do you think I could meet her?"

The smile disappeared from his face. "No… I haven't seen to her since she was born. I think…she could be dead."

Touko stayed quiet for a moment, thinking of ways she could change the subject. "Uh, so, um, what kind of Pokémon do you have?"

Lightning smiled wide at the mention of Pokémon, but the thought of his daughter still lingered in the back of his mind. "Mainly Electric-type Pokémon. That Luxray is one of my first, actually. I caught the little guy when he was just a baby Shinx." _Oh crap, _he thought. _I'm reminiscing…again. _

"What other Pokémon do you have?"

"A Raichu, Zebstrika, Electrivire, Lanturn and I'd very much want to capture…or at least _encounter_ the famed Electric-type beast of this land."

Touko didn't recognize any of the Pokémon except for Zebstrika, although she faintly recalled the name _Lanturn _in the back of her memories. "Um, famed Electric-type beast?" she repeated.

"The beast of the Unova folktale," he replied. "You know, the one that was split into two because of clashing brothers…Dragonspiral Tower, I believe was the location. And a Dark Stone was necessary for it?" He realized he was pointing out how much he knew about Unova. "O-Or something like that…"

"You're talking about Zekrom."

Lightning nodded. "Exactly."

Touko turned away. She wasn't sure whether or not to tell him that N had Zekrom. What if he tried to hurt N for the Legendary beast? Even as cruel as N was right now, he didn't deserve to be hurt. _He's just an innocent teenager…on the verge of adulthood… _Touko told herself.

_But then again…_

"_Right when that…_thing…_inside N is ready to maul you."_

Lightning's words made her trust in N falter.

"N…" Lightning's ears perked up curiously. "N is the one who…_has_ Zekrom." She chose her words carefully, assuming that Lightning was sensitive about Pokémon.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Touko nodded, wishing she had kept quiet. "Yes. He caught Zekrom…to prove…things to me." She leaned back against the wall and sat, staring up at the grey ceiling. "I also caught Reshiram, Zekrom's counterpart."

Lightning scooted his chair next to her, a stare of awe and disbelief plastered onto his face. "Really…" This time, it was more of a confirmation rather than a question. "So you guys are pretty much the two brothers of that story?" Touko nodded. "Which are you, then?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, unsure about his question. "What do you believe in?" A grin swept his face as realization appeared on Touko's face. "Justice? Or ideals?"

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"We have to go _now._" Touko's mother grabbed Cheren's hand and pulled him to where Bel and Touya were, in front of Nuvema Town. "Don't ask. I'll explain when we leave this place." She nodded towards his jumbled expression.

Cheren ran as Touko's mom started to. "Where, at least?" he managed to pant as they met up with the two others who were already sitting on an Unfezant. Bel said hi excitedly to Cheren, but Touya murmured an impatient hello.

"Undella," Touko's mom replied, throwing her own Pokeball into the air. "Kaiser!" A huge, bird-like Pokémon even Cherenhad never seen before appeared from the bright light. It was a large brown bird with zigzags of black and white on its chest. Both its talons and beak were yellow and had a bit of black on the edge of it. The black part of its head ended in a red point.

Cheren threw his own ball out and an Archeops appeared. Cheren and Touko's mom both clambered onto their bird Pokémon, ready for a long flight.

"Hurry!" Touya cried, hearing heavy footsteps in the distance. "Bel, hang on tight!" The blonde girl's arms wrapped around Touya's waist tightly and for a second, Cheren was deeply jealous, but his head snapped up in attention, glancing at the unusual Pokémon.

"Wait, Ms. White!" he called out, trying to distract himself from Touya and Bel. "What _is_ that Pokémon?"

"It's a Staraptor! Enough chitchat. Let's go; we need to fly now!"

"Right!" they all exclaimed.

With that, all three birds lifted off and made their start to Undella Town.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"Well, Touko?" Lightning addressed. "Justice or ideals? Virtue or vice?"

"Why would you compare that to vices and virtues?" Touko grumbled. "Besides, I can't choose between those two. I'm right in between. I'm only doing what I feel is right."

"Justice," Lightning confirmed under his breath.

"Not necessarily," Touko replied smugly. "What do I do – no, what I _feel_ – is right is normally something selfish. For instance, the reason I got into this mess was becauseI_ thought _I could prove N wrong and beat him in a battle, which obviously I did not." She shook her head to herself disapprovingly. "I wasn't thinking about saving the world or any of that 'heroic justice' crap. I'm just not that good."

Lightning looked at her carefully, his eyebrows furrowing. "You exhibit some heroic traits though, and that makes me proud." His eyes widened and he quickly corrected himself. "I mean…it should make _you _proud."

Sighing dejectedly, Touko pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "What kind of 'heroic' trait do I have?"

"You're trying to save N, when I know it's near impossible." He paused. "And even though you've seen parts of that…_monster _within, you'll still help him right?"

Touko grinned. "Of course."

Lightning laughed quietly, and smiled back, matching her expression. "Unfortunately, I can't allow you to stay here. We have to escape."

The smile melted from her face. "But you just gave me a pep talk –"

"I know I did and you'll save N later. But right now, we have to regroup and devise a tactic on helping that guy." _He sounded sort of like Cheren, _Touko thought.

"Wait, who's…_we?_"

"Touya, Bel, Cheren, a few of my helpers…" His voice trailed off. "Your mother, too."

Touko gasped. "You're getting _my mother _involved?" she cried out. "Why would you do that?"

"It's the other way around," he sighed. "She got me –"

"Alright, enough is enough!" N exclaimed from an intercom. "I'm coming in. It's been much longer than ten minutes."

Lightning shifted forward and whispered into her ear in a hushed tone. "Tomorrow, midnight…I'll find where you are." He stuck a small square with an adhesive on it onto her hat. "Take your hat wherever you are."

"What is–"

"Tracking device."

"Ah."

N tapped his foot impatiently. "Blondie, out." Lightning shrugged and strode slowly to the steel door, taking his time. "_**Now.**_" Lightning nodded, a sneer on his face as he turned away. He entered the control room, struggling to put on a serious face as Concordia raised an eyebrow at him.

The teenage boy soon took Lightning's place on the chair next to Touko. "What did you talk about?" he asked softly through clenched teeth, telling himself to keep control. _**Do not stop me, you foolish boy. **_He ignored the voice to the best of his ability as it continuously badgered him with dirty thoughts on what he could do to Touko.

Touko stiffened when she heard N's voice. "None of your business," she replied sharply, her voice straining. "It's too personal." _Lightning called him a monster…_

N gripped her shoulder firmly. "I can get personal." His eyes glowed a deep, seductive purple. "_**With my body, of course.**_"

"Thunderbolt," Lightning's voice called through the intercom.

N stood up and spun around as the heavy security door opened. The Luxray jumped out and made a loud screech and electrified N with a huge bolt of energy. N fell to the ground unconscious, but that wasn't what was on Touko's mind at the moment.

"By the way, that time the microphones _were _on." A loud bellow of laughter made Touko imagine Lightning grinning from ear to ear, his dark blue eyes shimmering with excitement.

An old memory flashed through her mind.

_It was a town with a beach__,__ and Touko was sitting on the beach, relaxing and watching two people play in the water with a Pokémon she couldn't identify as one from Unova._

_A blue and yellow fishlike Pokémon with antenna-type feelers on its head…_

_Her mother, looking at her while holding a man shrouded in shadows, who Touko couldn't see, except for those dark blue eyes…_

_Those same dark blue eyes…_

Touko shook her head roughly and wondered what she was getting herself into. She was going to work with that guy, who just zapped N, who pulled her mother into this huge mess, who said horrible things about N and who was downright _crazy? _

It was going to be one long night.

**[end of chapter five: plans]**

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_Hope dangles on a string like slow spinning redemption, winding in, winding out, a shine of which has caught my eye. It roped me in so mesmerizing, and so hypnotizing, I am captivated, I am vindicated. I am selfish. I am wrong. I am right, I swear I'm right. I swear I knew it all along, and I am flawed. But I am cleaning up so well. I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself so clear." _

**Vindicated – **_Dashboard Confessional_

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

_Hope you enjoyed it. _

_And to, Miss Bayley, I won't say what kind of ending it will have, and that yes, there is a reason to why enharmonic: is spelled as it's spelled. I'm glad you liked it so much._

**HUGE **_thank you to _**aerococonut** _for the beta. Also, I thank the readers, (that's you!) for being with me through all this time. Thanks so much._

_Wait up for the next chapter! There's gonna be lots of action!_

_Spiraling...spiraling...spiraling..._

~anime-heroine


	7. Chapter 6

**enharmonic:**

**Chapter Six **

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"_A…B…C…D…E…F…G…H…I…J…K…L…M…N…"_

"_N…N…N…"_

"_What's…after…N…?"_

"_Why can't I remember?"_

"It's alright, my son, you just need a trick to help you remember!"

"_A…trick? Isn't that cheating?"_

"No, no, it's not cheating…"

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_**Out.**_"

That single word drove a mad shiver down Touko's spine.

"_**I want that…**_thing_**…out.**_" He pointed at Lightning, a glare set on his face, and his mouth was a hard line.

Touko, kneeling next to N on his bed, thought it was ironic that N had called Lightning a 'thing' just as Lightning had called him that a few hours ago.

Said trainer shrugged and allowed himself to be ushered out of the room by Concordia and Anthea as well as a few Plasma grunts who didn't enjoy being near his Luxray. As the door shut, Touko caught a glimpse of him winking, but quickly turned back to N before he could suspect something.

"Touko?" N murmured softly, almost in his normal, more elegant voice.

Her head turned in time to see him lay back against his large, fluffy bed. "Yes N?" Her voice was hard and unforgiving.

For a moment, his lips trembled and he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry." N sounded miserable but his words were heartfelt.

She drew a sharp intake of breath. This was_ far_ from what she had been expecting. As she opened her mouth to reply, N cut her off by lifting a finger. "I'm not expecting you to forgive me, Touko, but I truly _am _sorry from the deepest depths of my heart. I…" He faltered, something stopping him from speaking. Clearing his throat hastily, N continued. "I can't explain to you how…difficult this is for me, Touko…" His voice trailed off again, and his expression showed confusion and anxiety. "If only I could make this up to you…"

"I…" Her mind started racing, and she began having second thoughts about the escape plan. "I don't understand, N…"

He nodded, as if knowing exactly what she meant. "I see. All I need is for you…well, I just want to you understand that everything that's happened… I never _wanted _it to happen, really," N explained carefully. "Trust me, Touko."

"R-Right." Touko swallowed hesitantly and turned away from him, sinking down against the side of his bed. "Trust…you…" _Easy, _she tried to convince herself to no avail.

N placed his hand on her head and took her hat off for her. "Just relax a bit."

_How can I? _she asked herself as she watched him lay down comfortably on his king sized bed. She repeated his 'dear apology' in her head and thought deeply about how he sounded and the words Lightning had said the previous day. Touko bit her lip and crawled to the nearest couch, laying on her back and looking up at the ceiling painted with beautiful Pokémon of Unova. _He didn't sound like a childish man who loved Pokémon… He just sounded like a gentleman_. _A gentleman…? Was N like that? _she thought to herself. _No, no… He's supposed to be a child… I doubt he would know how to deal with people's emotions… Or would he?_

Touko shook her head in annoyance and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She felt her body relax after a few moments, but her mind still raced with mixed thoughts and emotions.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

_Great, _Lightning grumbled, tapping his fingers against the large black table he sat next to. _Now _I've _gotta bust from here…_ The Electric-type trainer had been caught trying to steal some of N's files on the Nuvema Town residents and was thrown into a jail in the castle. Concordia had stated that N was too tired to deal with him at the moment and needed rest, so Lightning was to be dealt with later.

_Of course, that's not going to happen, _he reminded himself, sliding an Ultra Ball from his jacket and tossing it up and down in the air.

'_Eleeccc!' (Stop juggling me around!)_

"My bad," Lightning suddenly said, clenching the ball a bit tighter.

Now all he needed was a plan.

With a sigh, he rested his elbows on his knees and slid the ball from palm to palm, looking at it while he thought up ways for an escape. "What a hassle," he groaned.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

She couldn't sleep. Even if she forced her eyes to close, and told herself to relax, Touko was unable to. N confused her. He always had, ever since… _Ever since when? _the trainer asked herself. Touko stared up at the ceiling and counted the stars on the wallpaper. _Nimbasa City? Or even…even Accumula?_

"Psst!" said a soft whisper. "Touko, it's me Lightning."

She sat up slowly from the chair she sat in, wincing as her body cracked under the position she was sleeping in. "What the – what took you so long?" she hissed, crawling towards his voice.

"Zip it," he shushed back, biting his lip. "The kid's a light sleeper." He pointed at N's bed, even though it was too dark to see the older trainer. Lightning grabbed her hand as soon as her skin touched his and pulled her towards the door. "Stay quiet and we should be fine." Touko nodded, heart pounding as Lightning pushed her to the hallway and closed the door.

Purple eyes snapped open as soon as the door quietly clicked shut.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"I found your Pokémon," Lightning told Touko as soon as they were away from N's quarters. "But there were only five, I'm afraid." He handed the capsules to Touko, who was looking at him suspiciously.

"How did you know these were mine?" she asked in a doubtful voice. _Five… Why – oh yeah. Reshiram._ She bit her lip and cursed herself for releasing the Legendary beast.

Lightning rolled his eyes and kept dashing around the hallways, keeping a watchful eye for sentries. "Labels," he quickly replied. "N's a neat freak. There are names on all of the Pokéballs for some reason."

"You gotta wonder why…" Touko murmured under her breath. "I see." Touko snapped the five Pokéballs to her belt carefully and asked, "So what's next?"

Lightning stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, and caught his breath. He obviously wasn't used to sprinting so much in a short amount of time. Touko, on the other hand, was perfectly fine and barely needed time to recover. "There's a secret tunnel underground," he replied in between breaths. "I assume they won't think we took this route."

"And _how _do you know this?"

"I was searching around before I came to you. That's why I had the tracker stuck to your hat 'cause I knew you'd probably run off on your own like your mother – well you didn't, but, I mean, I had to take precautions because if I didn't Hikari would be on my butt at the speed of light and your mother is really like that, a fighter and she's so crazy and almost got me fired out of my jobs on multiple occasions. She was sort of like one of my best friends, Ōba, except she's a girl of course–" He rambled on for a few moments before stopping and realizing he was talking about Touko's mother so much. "Sorry about that." He stopped in his tracks and glanced around the area. "Oh, perfect, we're here."

Touko's head was swimming with the information that Lightning just listed and it took her some time for her brain to process it all. The younger girl was also in shock that the seemingly quiet and bored trainer had suddenly spouted so many words and run-ons. "Where's here?" she repeated, blinking blankly and looking at three completely solid walls that didn't seem would be able to hold an underground tunnel.

"To the right. If you bump right into it, you should be able to feel the button by your right shoulder."

She spun to her right and slid into the wall, feeling it up with her body. "Uhh, I'm not getting anything," she grumbled as she rubbed her face against the cold wall.

"Wrong right," Lightning prompted, his voice clearly amused. "My right, your left."

Touko pushed off the wall, staring at the silhouette of Lightning with narrowed eyes. "Thank you, Sparky." She pressed her hand towards the left wall and poked around until she felt a small bit of walls poking out.

"Sparky?" he repeated as Touko pressed down onto the button. "That's a fitting name. That's …very…_electrifying."_ He raised his eyebrows twice towards her with a soft smile, who rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, let's go," she muttered, not enjoying the fact that she had to work with an electricity-obsessed madman who didn't seem to fear a thing. _Then again,_ she told herself, _it's better than being surrounded by a bunch of freaks that think Pokémon should be taken away from trainers._ A single step into the dark hole of unknown promises or lies swept all the courage away from the fighting girl. "Umm… Actually, do you think we could go back?"

Lightning looked confused. "Why would you wanna go back to that hellhole?" She wanted to say, _Isn't 'hell' fire? _but it felt as if something was stuck in her throat. "Shinx – I mean, Zebstrika got your tongue?" Touko nodded and turned away blushing. "When you get older, you'll learn that these kinds of situations are gonna spark a fire through your veins. In a good way." Taking her hand, he took slow steps into the chamber.

A loud slam sounded, and Touko jumped in surprise. "Relax. It's just that door-thing," Lightning assured, chuckling.

"Wasn't very assuring," Touko murmured softly. She began to hyperventilate as they descended slowly into the chamber. The younger girl carefully tiptoed across the darkened floor, her hand gripped tightly onto Lightning's. "H-Hey! You're not taking me anywhere to do weird things to me, are you?"

Lightning sighed and shook his head. "Touko, I'm trying to help you… so please, just trust me!" He wanted to scream his lungs out at her, but Lightning kept recalling moments in his life where shouting and arguing was never the right answer. "I don't want this to be so complicated, kid. Do you want to go back to your lunatic-of-a-boyfriend?"

She paused and bit back a snarl. "F-Fine. But he's not my boyfriend."

"I know," he answered from within the darkness.

It felt weird to be talking to him without being able to see his face clearly. All she could make out were the spikes of his hair and the random blur of his jacket. "Lightning, how much further?"

"I don't know," he replied, squeezing her hand softly. "Just be patient, okay?"

She responded with a grunt.

For a few minutes, they ran through the darkness, which seemed to be a completely straight line since Touko wasn't in front. Many times, she heard Lightning curse or say either "Ow!" "Damn rock!" or "Fuuuuuck, that one hurt!" She was going to ask about why he was so close to Hikari when Lightning suddenly shouted, "Right there! It's the exit."

Touko cocked her head to the side, but soon she realized that a soft light was being emitted from ahead. She started sprinting, but Lightning stopped her, due to his frailer body. "Come on, Sparky! Is your flame burning out already?" she teased, suddenly excited.

"Calm down," he groaned, halting to a walk. "Just be patient…"

"Come on, come on, come on!" Touko sprinted the rest of the way until she felt a soft breeze and the smell of fresh grass and flowers. "Lightning… it's so beautiful –" Her breath stopped short as soon as she recognized who was standing in front of her.

"You have no trust in me." N spoke softly, his purple eyes turned downward in a saddened state. He wore his normal attire, in addition to the little accessories Touko had come to know – the Menger Sponge, the little planet that looked like Jupiter, his bracelets and of course, his black and white cap. "I should have known." His voice changed from a soft spoken whisper to a menacing growl. The Plasma Lord took her hand and began walking back into the tunnel, motioning for one of his grunts to pull Lightning forward.

Her blue eyes searched the darkness. "Where is he?" she quickly asked, tugging on N's sleeve.

N looked confused. "Who? What is this nonsense?"

"Lightning."

The green-haired trainer rolled his eyes and shifted his head to one side, pointing towards the grunts who were restraining the Electric-type trainer. "I don't like him," he grumbled childishly, pulling on her arm. "Interrogation room. Now." His voice changed from sounding like a child having a tantrum to a rather serious businessman.

"I refuse to go _anywhere _with you!" Touko cried, trying to release herself from his iron grip.

One of the small, orange-haired boys piped up from behind with a snort. "It's not whether you want to or not," he squeaked in a high-pitched voice. "It all depends on what Lord N wants!"

N smiled maliciously as they made their way back into the darkened tunnel. "Please do not hate me." She ignored that comment thoroughly as her eyes darted all around, trying to familiarize herself with who was where before the darkness engulfed her. Three grunts, two on Lightning, one behind me, N grabbing me… Touko noticed that the Plasma Lord hadn't checked her for her Pokéballs, which were attached to her skimpy shorts.

_So…this is my one way out, _she thought, _all or nothing…_

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

_Ow, _Lightning groaned, forcing his eyes open. His head was pounding and he moaned in pain as his head was hit onto a hard, ragged rock. _Painpainpainpainpain, _he growled in his head.

"Lightning." That was Touko's voice, wasn't it? So much like her mother's…

"I don't like him." The eerie voice of N's monster hung in the air like a free noose, just waiting to be tightened around a poor fellow's neck.

_Well, I don't like you either, you Plasma freak. _After a moment, he felt a large foot hit him in the stomach.

"Interrogation room. _Now." _The sound was like a wolf howling in the night during a full moon.

_Don't, Touko… _Lightning thought hard.

"I refuse to go _anywhere _with you!"

"_Well said, young girl," _Lightning softly whispered before passing out as his head slammed into another hard rock.

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

Lightning awoke again with water dribbling down his lips. He moaned in pain and sat up straight, crashing his chest to something hard. A splash rang and he opened his eyes, looking at a wet Concordia sitting on a nearby chair.

"Ah!" he exclaimed in surprise. "S-sorry…" Blue eyes quickly darted around the room, checking his surroundings carefully. Guarded steel door, pink wallpaper (whadafu?), pretty white lamp on a desk, fluffy bed, Playgirl magazines…what _was_ this?

The goddess smiled ruefully and nodded, patting his hand. "It is tolerable, sir. Although, I am bit a surprised at my Lord, though." The Electric-trainer raised an eyebrow. "He wanted you slaughtered, but Touko persuaded him otherwise. N is normally not opposed by anybody, especially an enemy. You are very lucky." The sentence was ended with a tight and grim smile from the goddess of peace.

"Really? _Touko _said that?" He was shocked that Touko would care enough to want him alive. "Tell her thank you...please," he added for politeness, as well as a bat of the eyes.

Concordia hastily turned away, her eyes downward. "N is…currently…" Her voice trailed off.

Lightning's ears perked up. "Yeah? N is…?" He sent a glare towards Concordia, trying to get her to answer him. "Please, tell me."

_Too polite, _Concordia noted. She knew the difference between the honest type and the not-so-honest type, and even the patron saint of liars and fakes.

"Nagisa-san," Concordia started with a sigh, "N is…hurting Touko." Her voice was saddened, but also afraid. "I'm worried for her. I know she is a strong fighter, but N breaks people, no matter how tough they are."

"Like you," the blonde-haired cut in, raising an eyebrow.

Her eye raised to meet his. Those dark blue eyes were full of anger and understanding. "Yes," she agreed after a hesitant moment. "As much as I love and care for him, this is getting out of hand. But Anthea refuses to allow me to convince him to change."

"What, exactly, is making him act this way?" Lightning asked carefully.

Concordia bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm not supposed to speak about the fusion, Nagisa-san."

"My name is Den – Lightning," he corrected. "And…this…fusion? What is this?" His eyes glimmered excitedly and hopefuly.

"No, no, no, please forget that!" she cried. "Ghetsis will have my head!"

Lightning turned away as he took Concordia's hand in his, hoping that he still had that charm in him from nearly ten years ago. "Promise, I'm not gonna say one strike of a word of this."

"Den-Light-san?"

"Lightning," he told her again, his voice gruff.

Concordia gripped Lightning's hand tightly and spoke soon afterwards. "Lightning-san, if I tell you about N, will you help me?" She wanted desperately to be able to trust this man, even though he looked so scary. But again, she was _distressed _at the moment and needed someone for assistance.

He suddenly smiled wide, adrenaline pumping through his veins and pure excitement in his eyes. "_Now _we're talkin'. Let's make some sparks fly!" _Perfect_, he thought. _Now I've got something to work with._

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"Stop – stop touching me!" Touko screamed at the top of her lungs, tears running down her cheeks.

"Hush, young girl." His voice was a mix of both distaste and hate. "I always get what I want." N knew that was a total lie, yet he chose to believe in it. The older trainer never was in charge of his life – he simply went along with the path predetermined for him by his father.

_Not this time, _he told himself with influence from his inner voice. _This time, I call the shots._

**[end of chapter six: working relations]**

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

"_I'll keep singing this lie if you keep believing it...  
><em>_The best part of 'be__**lie**__ve' is the lie. I hope you sing along and you steal a line. I need to keep you like this in my mind, so give in or just give up. Are we growing up? Or just going down?"_

**Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year **–_Fall Out Boy_

(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)(X)

_A critical point in this story, eh? The original idea to how this turns out was changed, __**fortunately, **__by my awesome beta-reader _**aerococonut.** _In addition to that, she's also helped me out with some grammar issues I've _never _heard of. _NEVER. _So give a round of applause to aero-chan! Yay! _

_*coughs* Which means I'll have to step my game up being her beta too. (I promise. I'll work hard!) Check out her story _'Learning the Art of Friendship' _because it's like…ten times better than this in my opinion. _

_As a little preview to the next chapter, we're not going to jump right into the situation at N's castle. Oh no, we're going back to Touya, Cheren and Bel, who are currently residing in Undella Town, due to the persistence of Touko's mom… _

Cheers!

_~anime-heroine_

_**PS **Sorry for the super late update!_


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